The various stages of maple taffy production, clockwise from top left: 1) a plate of snow. 2) the maple syrup, just as it reaches the perfect stage of foaminess (is that a word?) and is ready to be poured. 3) If it gets this dark, it’s pretty much burnt and you should quickly turn off the burner and start again. We weren’t fast enough, and much smoke and sadness ensued. 4) the final result– delectable drops of sweetness (a little blurry, but you get the idea!)
Back in the olden days, when the world was much simpler and Michael Landon was everyone’s favorite dad, winter was a glorious time full of sleigh rides through the big woods to your grandparents’ house where folks would gather to sing, dance, and eat to celebrate the latest maple harvest.
No matter how many times we listen to Cherry Jones reading Little House In The Big Woods (and believe me, we have listened to it many many times…) we can’t bring the good old days back. But we can still make maple candy. And somehow, when you make your own candy, it is a thousand times more delicious than any store bought variety they’re pushing at the corner deli.
All you need is some maple syrup and some snow (I scooped up a jarful during our most recent storm and saved it in the freezer) and you’re good to go.
We started with a small plateful of snow… say about 2 cups full… and a half cup of maple syrup which makes just enough little taffy drops for one hungry kid and her mom to satisfy their sweet teeth for the evening.
Heat the syrup till it’s boiling, and then turn the heat down a bit so it holds steady. Then you basically watch and wait. When the syrup gets all foamy looking (smallish uniform bubbles– see top right photo above) it’s ready to go. This doesn’t take long (maybe 5 minutes or so) and it happens quickly, so you really have to keep your eyes on the pan. Waiting too long (like we did the first time round) will leave you with a horrible black nearly solid mass to scrape off of your pan.
Take the syrup out to your plate of snow and pour it slowly over, in swirls, dots, or whatever suits your fancy… being careful not to overlap too much as you’ll melt the snow before it has a chance to do it’s job. The syrup hardens quickly and in a minute or so is ready to peel off the plate and enjoy.
Just like Laura Ingalls and her cousins.
There are other, more scientific methods for making this stuff that involve candy thermometers, but I prefer doing it by eye. It somehow feels more satisfying, plus you’ve got one less thing to wash in the end.
Comments (0)